Container body



M. M. YOUNG CONTAINER BODY Feb. 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 8, 1962 R o T N E V N MICHAEL M. YOUNG BY ,2 $VQ ATTO R NEY M. M. YOUNG CONTAINER BODY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR= MICHAEL M. YOUNG ATTORNEY Feb. 25, 1964 Filed June 8, 1962 United States Patent 3,122,305 CQNTAETXER BQDY h iiehael M. Young, Merino, Pa. Diets. Machine Weiss, line, 20 W. Berkley St, Philadelphia 4-4, 1 2.}, assignor of fifty percent to Reginald Ceuzens, Wallingford, Pu.

Filed June 8, 19%2, Ser. No. 231,155 '7 Claims. (6i. 2295l} This invention relates to a container body.

Heretofore, it has been conventional for many years to make container bodies from paper or other laminated materials by spirally Wrapping endless strips of the past or other material around a stationary or rotating mandrel. Adhesive is generally applied to mating surfaces of the spirally wound strips so that a spirally wound tube is continuously manufactured. Conventional equipment of this nature generally includes a cuttin apparatus which is a part thereof or associated therewith so that the continuously manufactured tube may be cut to unit lengths.

The present invention is directed to a container body in tubular form and a continuous method for manufacturing the same. The spirally wound method described above is capable of manufacturing tubing at a rate of approximately one hundred fifty feet per minute. The method and apparatus of the present invention includes apparatus and method structurally interrelated in a manner so that the above mentioned production rate may be substantially doubled.

Recently, there has evolved in industry a great need for conta ner bodies made from larm'nates of paper and other materials which can be rapidly manufactured and are capable of containing liquids, solids and semi-solids. The innermost layer must be waterproof in nature since it will be in direct contact with the material disposed Within the container body. The outermost layer must be Waterproof in nature since a label will be generally imprinted thereon and the same is necessitated by a desire to prevent destruction of the container body when the same is subjected to liquids such as floods, rain water, steam, etc. as a result of the transportation, storage or handling of the same.

The container body made by the apparatus and meth- 0d of the present invention is a hollow tubular laminated body having waterproof inner and outer surfaces and a longitudinally extending rabbeted joint. The waterproof layer may be a layer of nylon, Mylar, polyethylene, etc. In certain circumstances wherein it is desired to store chemicals or oils within the contain r body, it is prefe able to have the inner and outer layers of the container body made from aluminum foil or the like.

In accordance with the method of the present invention, an endless strip of laminated material is shaped about a mandrel into tubular form, and adhesive is a plied to free edges of the strip, and then the free edges are joined together with a raobeted joint extending longitudinally of the endless tubular form. Thereafter, the endless tubular form is cut into unit lengths.

It is an object or" the present invention to provide a novel container body.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a container body made from a laminated material and capable of being made continuously at rapid speed.

It is another obiect of the present invention to provide a container body having a waterproof layer on its inner and outermost surfaces with a rabbeted joint extending longitudinally of the container body so that the container body is of uniform thickness.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preerred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the apparatus utilized in constructing container bodies in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 22 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 33 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional View taken along the lines 4-4 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the lines 55 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of a laminated strip in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a diagrammatically illustrated tube making machine designated generally as lb. The machine ltl includes unwind rolls 1?. and I4 rotatably supported for rotation about their longitudinal axes. Roll 12 contains a strip of a waterproof material such as aluminum foil. Roll 14 contains a strip of a substrate such as paper. The width of strip 16 is greater than the width of strip 18. The thickness of strip 16 may be approximately 0.001 to 0.802. The thickness of layer 18 will generally be several times greater than the thickness of layer 15.

The description hereinafter will refer to strip 18 as being a strip of paper. It is to be understood that the term paper is being used in a general sense and therefore includes cardboard, chipboard, etc. As the strip 13 is unwound from roll 14, it is preferably fed through a heater 2% to remove moisture from the strip 18. Unless. a substantial amount of or all moisture is removed from the strip 18, the same will be permanently trapped within the container body and may be a source of trouble in a finished product. The surface of strip 16 juxtaposed to the strip 18 is provided with a layer of adhesive by means of adhesive applicator 22.

The strips 16 and 18 are fed between pressure rollers and 2.6. The strips 16 and 18 are fed through a dispenser guide means 23 which intermittently adhesively secures tear string Itltl to strip 13 at spaced points rerealong. Means it) also assures that the strips 16 and 18 are properly orientated with respect to each other when passing between rollers 24 and 26.

After passing through the rollers 24 and 26, the adhesively secured laminate is fed through a folder 3% which causes the side edge portions of the strip 16 to overlap str ng 1% and side edge portions of the strip 13 thereby forming a laminate 32 as illustrated more clearly in FIGURE 2. At this point, I would like to note that the laminate 32 could be made by passing a substrate such as strip 18 through an evacuated chamber wherein it may be coated with a metal film such as a film of aluminum. The above described apparatus and method for forming the laminate 32 is preferred since the same is cheaper.

The apparatus 10 also includes rolls 34 and 36 which are adapted to rotate about their longitudinal axes. Roll as contains a strip 4% of Waterproof material similar to strip 16. Preferably the unexposed surface of strip when it is on roll 36 is provided with a label printed thereon. The provision of a label on one of the layers of material utilized in making spirally wound tubular forms unnecessarily complicated the same since the label had to be printed on a bias. The label printed on strip 44 is not on a bias but rather a series of labels wih a mark between labels along which the tubular form will be cut so as to provide container bodies of unit length.

Roll 34 contains a strip 33 of a substrate material such as the substrate material of strip 13. The strip 38 is preferably fed through a heater 42 as it is unwound from roll 3% so that moisture will be removed therefrom. A coating of adhesive is applied to the surface of strip 3-8 juxtaposed to strip 49 by means of adhesive applicator 44. The strips 33 and 4 are guided by guide means 46 so that they are properly orientated with respect to each other. Thereafter, the strips are fed between pressure rollers 42 and St The laminate of strips 33 and 49 after passing between rollers 43 and Si is fed through a folder 52 which is comparable to folder 3%. The laminate formed from strips 33 and 4i; is designated as 54. Laminate 54 is identical in cross section with laminate 32 as illustrated in FIGURE 2, but is wider since it will surround laminate S2 and does not have a tear string.

A film of adhesive is applied to the lowermost surface of laminate 32 by means of adhesive applicator s2. Thereafter, the laminates 32 and 54 are fed through a guide means 56 which properly orientates the laminates with respect to each other.

The properly orientated laminates 32 and 54 are then fed between pressure rollers 53 and 69. The laminated structure formed from the laminates 32 and 54 as it emerges from rollers 58 and oil is designated as 6 1*. As shown more clearly in FIGURE 3, the laminates 32 and 54 were orientated with respect to each other by guide means 56 so that side edges of the laminates were transversely spaced from each other as the laminates were passed between the roll rs 58 and 6%. Thus, the laminated structure 64 is provided with a longitudinally extending tab portion 66 on one side thereof thereby forming a shoulder 67 on a lowermost surface thereof. Also, the laminated structure 64 is provided with a longitudinally extending tab portion 68 on the other side thereof thereby forming a longitudinally extending shoulder 69 on an upper surface thereof.

The thusly formed laminated structure 64 is then fed through a folder 7% which transforms the planar laminated structure 64 into a tubular shape. This is accomplished by causing the laminated structure 6 to be fed between a shaping wall of the folder 743 and a cylindrical mandrel 72. One end of the mandrel 72 is supported by bracket supports 74.

As shown more clearly in FIGURE 4, the laminated structure 64 is caused to be Wrapped around the mandrel 72 in a manner so that an adhesive may be applied to shoulder 67 by applicator 76 and adhesive applied to the end surfaces of portion 68 by applicator 78. Subsequent to the illustration of the relationship between the portions 66 and 68 as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the folder 743 will cause the shoulder 69 to be juxtaposed to the shoulder 67 thereby forming a rabbeted joint. By having a rabbeted joint extending longitudinally of the tubular shape, the tubular shape will have a uniform wall thickness.

After emerging from the folder 7%, the rabbeted joint will be caused to pass beneath a pressure applicator having a convex surface juxtaposed to the rabbeted joint. Drive rollers 81 and 81' may be provided to positively drive the tubular shape along the mandrel 72. As the tubular shape moves along the mandrel 72, marks provided between printed labels on the strip so will be detected by the electric eye $2. The electric eye 82 is structurally interrelated with an orbital cutter 84.

i The details of electric eye 82 form no part of the present invention since the same is commercially available. It is not deemed necessary to describe the operation of the orbital cutter 84 in detail since the same is well known to those skilled in the art and is generally referred to as a flying cutter. Means, not shown, are provided to cause the cutter $4 to reciprocate on a carriage at the same speed as the tubular shape. When a mark on the label is detected by the electric eye 82, a similar mark will then be Opposite the .knife of the cutter 84. Such detection by the electric eye 82 triggers the knife which severs the tubular shape into unit lengths.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the cutter 34 may have one or more cutting lmives so that one or more unit lengths may be cut from the tubular shape at the same time.

For purposes of illustration, it will be assumed that container body 86 is one of the unit lengths cut from the endless tubular shape by cutter 84. As shown more cl arly in FIGURE 5, the laminated structure as has been converted into a container body with the longitudinally extending edge portions of the laminate structure 6 joined together with a rabbeted joint. In this regard, it will be noted that the longitudinally extendin edge portions of the inner and outermost layers are joined together with a butt-joint. It will be noted that the illustration in FlGURE 5 is on a greatly enlarged scale. Thus, it will be seen that the container body of the present invention includes inner and outer Waterproof layers secured to themselves thereby providing a waterproof container body internally reinforced by a substrate material while at the same time having a uniform wall thickness and capable of being continuously manufactured at rapid production rates.

The laminated structure 64 described above and illustrated in FIGURE 3 is composed of two laminates. To provide stronger cont -ner bodies, such as container bodies for one gallon paint cans, a laminated structure designated generally as 9%; may be utilized. As shown more clearly in FIGURE 6, laminated structure 96 is composed of three laminates. However, additional laminates may be provided as desired.

Laminated structure 99 is composed of laminates 32, and 2. Laminates 32' and 54' are identical with laminates 32 and 54, respectively. It will be noted that the laminates of laminated structure 9t) are bonded together in a stagv red pattern so that a longitudinally extending tab portion is provided on the side edge portions thereof, thereby facilitating the provision of a rabbetcd joint when the laminated structure 90 is formed into a tubular shape in the manner descrioed above.

The laminate $2 is composed of a substrate 94 which similar to the substrates and 33. The substrate 94 may be of greater thickness than the substrates 18 and 38. The laminate 92 differs from the laminates 32 and 54 in that a waterproof layer need not be provided across the full wid h thereof. Hence, the substrate 94 is provided with a s p of waterproof material 96 which merely overlaps and is bonded to one longitudinally extending edge portion of the substrate 94. A strip of waterproof material 98 overlaps and is bonded to the other longitudinally extending edge portion of the substrate 94. The strips 9-5 93 may be made from the same material as the strips in 33, which in turn are identical with ships 16 and 3-3.

The laminated structure 96 may be continuously made into an endless tubular shape on machine 19 in the same manner described above. in this regard, it is not deemed necessary to repeat the above description. Thus, it will be seen that the method of making the container body of the present invention enables container bodies to be made at a faster r e and with greatly simplified apparatus as compared v'th the only commercial apparatus for continuousl making papere container bodies on a continuous process, namely the spirally wound device described above. The apparatus of the present invention is designed to operate continuously, that is twenty-four hours a day. It will be appreciated that the illustration is purely diagramniatica for purposes of illustration. Hence, electrical circuitry, motors, detective switches for stopping the machine when the rolls 12, 14-, 34 and 36 are emptied, etc. are not illustrated since the same are conentional in the art.

tear strings and and 1*22', respectively. The st l'iiil' terminate in a tab 162 rugs are preferably narrow fiat ribbons of nylon. The strings are positioned so that they extend around the container body at a point adjacent one end thereof just below a flange on an end cap which will be applied to body 86. When it is desired to open a sealed container, tab 132 is grasped and pulled thereby severing layers 13, 33 and 49. Thereafter, pulling or twisting the end cap readily severs the layer 16. It will be appreciated that a tear string is not required when the container body is intended to be utilized in a manner not conducive to use of the same. For example, a tear string would not be utilized if body 86 were to be used as a paint can.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a hollow tubular laminated body, the inner and outer layers of said body being a waterproof material, radially outwardly extending edge portions of said inner layer being joined together with a first butt-joint extending in an axial direction, radially inwardly extending free edge portions of said outer layer being joined together with a second butt-joint extending in an axial direction, said first and second buttjoints being circumferentially spaced with respect to the longitudinal axis of said body, and reinforcement substrate material between and bonded to said layers.

2. An article in accordance with claim 1 wherein said inner and outer layers are aluminum foil.

3. An article in accordance with claim 1 wherein indicia is printed on the outermost surface of said outer layer.

4. An article in accordance with claim 1 including a tear string member secured between said substrate material and said inner layer, a portion of said string member extending across said first and second butt joints.

5. An article of manufacture comprising a hollow tubular laminated body, said body including inner and outer layers of water-proof material, said body including first and second reinforcement layers of substrate material, said first and second layers being between and bonded to said inner and outer layers, longitudinally extending side edge portions of said inner layer overlapping the longitudinally extending side edges of said first layer, longitudinally extending side edge portions of said outer layer overlapping longitudinally extending side edges of said second layer, said longitudinally extending edge portions of said inner layer being joined together with a first butt-joint extending in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body, said longitudinally extending edge portions of said outer layer being joined together with a second butt-joint extending in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body, and said first and second butt-joints being circumferentialiy spaced with respect to the longitudinal axis of said body.

6. An article of manufacture in accordance with claim 5 including a tear string member secured between said inner layer and said first layer, a portion of said string member extending across said first and second -butt-joints, said tear string member being :circurnferentially disposed with respect to said body adjacent one end of said body, and said substrate material being paper-like material.

7. An article of manufacture in accordance with claim 5 wherein said longitudinally extending side edge portions of said outer layer extend over said longitudinally extending side edges of said second layer between juxtaposed faces of said first and second layers, said longitudinally extending side edge portions of said inner layer extending over said longitudinally extending side edges of said first layer between juxtaposed surfaces of said first and second layer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

5. AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE COMPRISING A HOLLOW TUBULAR LAMINATED BODY, SAID BODY INCLUDING INNER AND OUTER LAYERS OF WATERPROOF MATERIAL, SAID BODY INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND REINFORCEMENT LAYERS OF SUBSTRATE MATERIAL, SAID FIRST AND SECOND LAYERS BEING BETWEEN AND BONDED TO SAID INNER AND OUTER LAYERS, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID INNER LAYER OVERLAPPING THE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDE EDGES OF SAID FIRST LAYER, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID OUTER LAYER OVERLAPPING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDE EDGES OF SAID SECOND LAYER, SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID INNER LAYER BEING JOINED TOGETHER WITH A FIRST BUTT-JOINT EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID BODY, SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID OUTER LAYER BEING JOINED TOGETHER WITH A SECOND BUTT-JOINT EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID BODY, AND SAID FIRST AND SECOND BUTT-JOINTS BEING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID BODY. 